A Systematic Review

(106 Articles)

Will the duration of your stretch impact your athletic performance?

Groups examined:

• Less than 30 seconds of continuous Static Stretching
• 30 – 45 seconds of continuous Static Stretching
• 1 – 2 minutes of continuous Static Stretching
• More than 2 minutes of continuous Static Stretching

Results:

• Static Stretching for less than 30 seconds did not negatively effect performance (strength, speed, power)
• Static Stretching for 30 – 45 seconds did not negatively effect performance (strength, speed, power)
• Static Stretching for 1 – 2 minutes did negatively effect performance (strength, speed, power)
• Static Stretching for more than 2 minutes did negatively effect performance (strength, speed, power)

Do you need to Static Stretch before exercise?

Less than 60 seconds of continuous Static Stretching will not negatively effect performance

Static Stretching is recommended before exercise for less than 60 seconds

Adding Static Stretching to your warm-up routine will benefit proper muscle length and joint range of motion (ROM).

For more information about this systematic review:

http://issuu.com/nasmorg/docs/static_stretching_review.pptx

Reference:

Kay, A.D. & Blazevich, A.J. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 44(1): 154-164, 2012.